Alkaline Phosphatase

How To Prepare

An alkaline phosphatase test is often done at the same time as a routine blood test. You do not need to do anything before having a routine blood test.

If you are having a follow-up ALP test, you may be asked to not eat or drink for 10 hours before the test. The ALP level generally goes up after eating, especially after eating fatty foods.

Many medicines may change the results of this test. Be sure to tell your doctor about all the non-prescription and prescription medicines you take.

Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form(What is a PDF document?).

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Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC	Last Updated: November 30, 2006
Medical Review:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Hanan Bassyouni, MD - Endocrinology and Metabolism Alan C. Dalkin, MD - Endocrinology
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